Sheet-feeding machine



J. G. HARDIE .SflEF-i FEEDING MACHINE Fuea March 21. 1922 Nov. 10, 1925.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i J m Nov. 10,1925. 1 1.560.511

' J.- G. HARDZE sacs-r some uczunn riled March '21-. 1922 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

sneer-manure nacnmn.

. Application m4 larch 21, 1522. Serial No. 545,551.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES G. HABDIE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Canton, county of St. Lawrence, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Feeding Machines, of which the following is a speclfication.

The present invention relates to improvements in a sheet-feeding mechanism for printing presses and the like, in which a single sheet is fed off a stack and carried forward to the impression cylinder, and relates in particular to means to carry the sheet at first rapidly and then move it slowly forward to the c 'linder guides, to

avoid rolling the front e ge of the sheet as it contacts the cylinderg'uldes.

My present invention relates to improved features of construction particularly as follows: a rear set of rece1vin ta es or the roll or other mechanism, then-to a vance the sheet by its being taken hold of by a reciprocating set of grippers or the like,'and to deposit the sheet upon a slowly running set of tapes that will place the sheet against the cylinder grippers.

In order that my invention may be full understood, I shall first describe it wit reference to the accompanyin drawings, and afterward more particular y point out .the novelty of each feature.

In the accompanying drawings similar figures refer to similar parts. i

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of what is known I as the feeders side, showing the rear of a printing press including the impression cylmder. A side view of the elevator is shown in outline, with a stack of paper upon an elevator platform. Alsoare shown the rear, fast-running tapes, the reciprocating carriage, and the front, slow-running tapes; also is shown themeans for transmitting ower from the press-driving shaft to the coder.

Fig. 2 is a plan view heretofore referred to.

Inasmuch as my present invention relates in particular to means for advancing the sheet from the stack of sheets to the press cylinder, I have not' shown the mechanism for elevating the stack,' nor. for lifting the sheets "singly; Reference is made hereto showing the parts my application, Serial No. 272,225, filed on.

January 21, .1919, and allowed on December 21, 1921, in which are shown the mechanism for lifting the elevator platform and the suction -means for lifting the sheets singly and carrying them forward to the main feed-roll and around said feed-roll the present fast-running rear tapes ass; therefore it is practically at the fee -roll where this present invention begins.

I have not shown also the side-registering mechanism, as the mechanism illustrated in my Patent No. 1,144,937, issued on June 29,

1915, is applicable.

' Description in detail. Fig. 1, 1 is the press-frame, 2 is the stack of sheets, which may be elevated in various ways; however, mg over sheaves u on parallel shafts; 6

are the side-bars an 4 the supporting legs. 1 like to .move the sheet rapi ly orward as; it is delivered uponsaid'tapes b a feed- The power is received from the drivlng shaft 5 of the printing press, and through .the chain and s rockets 6, the beveled gears '7, the shaft 8, t e worm 24, and the wormgears 9, the shaft 10 is'rotated. The parts are so one revolution toeach complete reciprocation of the t pe-bed, or to each sheet printed. On t e shaft 10 is mounted the arm 11, and pivotally attached to'it is the link 12, the link is also pivotally attached to the arm 13, which arm is mounted on the shaft, 14, 15 is a link pivotally attached to the arm 13 aiid the reciprocating carriage 16, 17 are ways pivotally attached to the frame 18, 19 is a power-driven main feed-roll carrying the ta es 20,21 is a dro I have shown chainspass-j designed that the shaft 10 will make roll adapted to contact t e tapes 20, to ho d' I the in-coming sheet upon the tapes; 22 is a set of tapes mounted-in the frame 18, and

upon these slow-r dro ped from the reciprocating carriage 16, 3 is a chain which rotates the tapes 22.

25 is -a printing press cylinder guide against :lhich the slow runmng tapes place the cot.

Mamwr of operation.

unning tapes the sheet is carriage to take hold of the sheet and anybed the shaft 10 will make one com lete' revolution, and through the arm 11 an the link 12 which ispivota'lly attached to the arm 13, the arm 13 will berocked to and fro at each revolution of the shaft 10, this means will have the effect to move the reciprocating carriage 16 back and.forth. On each side of the machine are arm 13 and the link 15. The sheets are fed singly to the feedroll 19 by mechanism illustratedin my application, Serial No. 272,225, allowed on December 21,1921. The drop-roll 21 will contact the feed-roll tapesso as to make the movement of the sheet positive, and thus the sheets will be carried upon the tapes 20, and so timed as to meet the reciprocating carriage on its backward stroke; grippers or other mechanism will be carried upon the form of gri per mechanism n w in use may be used; an as the gripper mechanism does not form apart of this invention I have not illustrated such means. The reciprocating carriage 16, when it has taken hold of the front edge of the sheet, will then make its forward travel, .and at a predetermined point the gripper mechanism will let go of the sheet, and it will drop onto the slowmoving tapes 22, and by them the sheet will be carried against the cylinder guides.

It will be observed that the spirit of the invention herein outlined is that the sheet will first be .carried upon tapes running at a high rate of travel, and then positively taken hold of by grippers or the like, and then positively carried forward over a set of tapes runnin at a much slower rate of speed than'the rst set of tapes run, so that asthe sheet is carried forward against the cylinder guides it will not have its front edge rolled nor creased by the impact with the cylinder guides.

Reference is made to my Patent No. 1,144,937, in which is illustrated a framework and'a side-register that are applica ble; so I have not shown the details of the frame 18 and the mechanism for rotating side-registering mecha-' the tapes 22, nor the nism.

I have illustrated this forwarding mechanism'with a-stack of sheets on an elevator platform, and which is known to the trade asa pile elevator feeder, but I do not con,- fine myself to this form of feeder, for this design of a reciprocating sheet-carrier and a frame-work on the press-table, containing a slow-running set of tapes, is applicable to other designs of feeding machines, such as are known to the trade as continuous feeders; I wish, therefore, to use this forward-- mg mechanism in connection with any design of feeder as a means 'to deliver the sheet to the press cylinder guides.

Various designs of folding ways can be.

used, upon which the reciprocating carriageadapted to advance said .it upon power-driven tapes, which is adapted travels, hence I do not confine myself to any particular form.

I have not shown any particular design of reciprocating carriage 1.6, for various forms will be practicable, nor do I confine myself-to the use of gripper mechanism to take hold of the sheet for it may be desirable to take hold of the sheet by suction and any form ofsucker can be used only that it engages the sheet at a predetermined time and then to shut off the air at a predetermined point. Therefore I wish to use either mechanical arts or any form of suction to take hold of the sheet.

I have shown a reciprocating gripper device for advancing the sheet from the fast running tapes to the slow running tapes, but- I do not confine myself to a reciprocating device as various designs of a rotary gripper which is in use could be used to accomplish the same ends. So I desire to useany practicable means to forward the sheet.

I have illustrated my invention as used in connection with a printing press, but it can be ada ted to any mechanism to which sheets are fed singly, so I do not confine its use to printing presses only.

I have illustrated my invention in the form of a sheet-feeding machine, feeding single'sheets from a stack of paper to the cylinder of a printing ress; but I do not confine myself to that orm only, as sheets .may be fed from a cylinder of a printing press to a second cylinder, so I wish to cover the use of my invention also in carrying a sheet from one impression cylinder to another cylinder be it in the same press or in the case of distinct and separate presses.

Having thus described my invention,-

what I claim is:

1. In a sheet feeding-machine, means adapted-to advance a sheet to a predeter:

mined position, means adapted to forward adapted to advance a sheet to a predeter-- mined position, a reciprocating member adapted to advance said sheet and deposit it upon a slower-movingmeans, which is adapted to place said sheet against stops.

3. In a sheet-feedin machine, means adapted-to advance a s eet to a predetermined position, a reciprocating member sheet and deposit to place said sheet against stops.

4. In a sheet-feeding machine, means to advance a sheet to a predetermined osition, a reci rocating member adapte to forward sai sheet and deposit it upon a carrier, which is adapted to place said sheet against stops.

5. In a sheet-feeding machine, means I adapted to advance a sheet'to a predetermined position, a front frame containing power-driven tapes, which is adapted to place a sheet a ainst stops, a reciprocated member adap to advance a sheet and deposit it upon said taes. e

'6. In a" sheet-fee '11 machine, means adapted to? advance a sleet to a predetermined position, a frame containing powerdriventapes, adapted to place a sheet against stops, a re ciproc'ated member adapted to en- "gage a sheet and deposit it upon .the said tapes.

'7. In a sheet-feeding machine, a powerrotated tape-roll carrying tapes, a poweroperated drop-roll, adapted to contact said tapes, means to place a sheet-between said drop-roll and said tapes, means adapted to place a sheet againststops, a reciprocated -member adapted to advance .a sheet and deposit it u on the aforesaid means.

- rotated main tape-r0 8.. In a s eet-feedin machine, a powercarrying tapes, :1 drop-roll, adapted to contact said tapes, means to lace a sheet between said droproll and said tapes, a front frame containing power-driven, tapes, which is adapted to 7 adapted to ta slower speed than the aforesaid main taperoll tapes, means to advance a sheet from the fast-running tapes tothe slow-running;

tapes.

10. In a sheet-feeding machine, a main power-rotated tape-roll carrying tapes, a power-o erated. drop-roll adapted to contact sai tapes, means to place asheet between said drop-roll and said tapes, a front frame containing power-driven tapes,

adapted to place a sheet against stops, the

aforesaid front-frame tapes traveling at a slower speed than the aforesaid main taperoll tapes, a recipr'ocated member adapted to engage a sheet and deposit said sheet upon the front slow-running tapes.

11. In a sheet-feeding machine, a power rotated main shaft, a rock shaft inoperative connection'with said main rotating shaft, a v

framing containing means adapted to place a sheet against stops, ways mounted in said framing, a reciprocating member mounted upon said wags having gripper mechanism e hold of a sheet and means to operate said tionsbetween said rock shaft and said reciprocating member. V

12. In a sheet-feeding machine, a power rotated main shaft a rock shaft in operative fconnection with aforesaid rotating shaft, a

framing containing power. driven tapes adapted to place a sheet against stops, ways mounted in said framing, a reciprocating member, mounted on said ways and adapted to engage a sheet, 0 erative connections between said rock sha t and said reciprocating member.

' JAMES G.

grippers, operative connec- 

